Flash-light gun



E. L. JOHNSON.

FLASH LIGHT GUN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1921. RENEWED APR. 4. 1922.

1A34AE38. Patehted Nov. 7, 1922.

wbentoz Everard L Jbknson 315 7155 atto'vnfl'ld back wall 11., side walls 12 an Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

EVERARD L. JOHNSON, 0F PA'ICHOGUE, NEWdYORK.

FLASH-LIGHT GUN.

Application filed February 26', 1321 Serial No. 48,157. Renewed April 491922. Serial No. 549,499.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EvE'nAnn L. JorrNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Patchogue, Long island in the county of Suffolk and State or New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Flash-Light Guns of which the following is a specification. such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to flashlight guns and particularly to devices of this class adapted for use by professional as well as amateur photographers in studios and homes, and the object of the invention is to provide a gun or device which. will ignite the explosive powder commonly employed in devices of this class in such manner that the ash or dust thereof will not come in contact with the operative mechanisms 01' the gun; further object being to provide improved means For creating a spark for igniting the explosive powder employed; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a flashlight gun of the class specified which is simple in construction and operation and eiiicient in use, and which is constructed and operated as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the "following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of myimprovement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in Which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through my improved flashlight gun and showing the parts thereof in a normal position;

Fig. 2 a partial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts of the gun in a different position and showing a detail of the construction not shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4L a partial section on the line 4l-4: of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a partial section on'the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 a partial section on the line 66 of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 7 a partial section on the line 77 of Fig. 3 and on an'enlarged scale.

In practice I provide a suitable and approximately rectangular casin 10 having a d top and bot tom walls 13 and 1d, and the bottom wall 14 is offset as shown at 15. The front of the casing 10 is open and adapted to be closed by a suitable cover plate 16 secured in position in any desired manner.

The back wall 11 of the casing is provided at its lower edge with an outwardly and upwardly directed trough 17 which extends the full length of said casing, as shown in Fig. 5 and in which the explosive flash powder is adapted to be placed. I

A spark creating or generating'device 18 is mounted within the casing and, in the form of construction shown. said device comprises an approximately triangular plate member 19 rotably mounted on a stub shaft 20 carried by the back wall 11 of the casing. The outer face of the plate member 19 is areshaped inform and provided with a file or other roughened facing 21 adapted to operate in connection with a piece of flint or the like 22 mounted in a suitable keeper 23 and normally forced inwardly by a spring 2 1, the tension of which is controlled by a screw 25 extending through'the bottom l-l of the casing. The plate member 19 is provided with an arm 26 with which one end of a spiral spring 27 is connected, the other end of said spring being secured to a post 28 on the back wall of the casing, and said spring serves to actuate the plate member 19, as hereinafter described.

One corner portion of the plate member 19 is provided with a projecting finger 29 in connection with which the hook-shaped end 30 of a lever 31 operates, said lever being pivotally mounted in the casing'as shown at 82 and the other end 33 of said lever is provided with a light spiral spring 34 the tension of which is controlled by a screw 35 which extends through the offset portion 15 of the bottom wall of the casing and providedwith a lock nut 36. A stop 37 is employed for limiting the downward movement of the end portion 33 of the lever.

The oifset portion 15 of the bottom wall 141 is provided with a cylinder 38 which extends into the casing andis provided With an outwardly directed nipple 39. A. piston 40 is mounted in the cylinder 38 and a flexible tube 4.1 is mounted upon the nipple 39. The tube 41 forms a part of, or is connected with the usual air bulb for actuating the shutter of a camera, as is the common prac tice in devices of the class under considera= tion. The piston a0 is located beneath the 50 ing'. statement.

end portion 33 of the lever 31 and serves to raise said end portion of the lever into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The back wall 11 of the casing is provided with a tubular member 42 which opens inwardly into the casing and outwardly.

through said back wall through an aper= ture43. v iThe mner end portion ot the tubular member 42 is proi' ided with an elon- 10 gated slot 44; through which thetacing 2i of the plate vmember 19 is adapted to pass, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and said tubular member is provided with another slot 45 in connection with which ashutter device 46 operates]. The shutter device 46 pivoted to the back wall 11 of the casing, as shown at {L7, and said shutter is provided with an arm 48 carrying an antifriction roller 4:9. The shutter device 46 is held in a normal position similar to that shown in-Fig.

1 by a springbO, and a stop pin 51' limits the movement of said shutter device in one direction.

A shoe orcam member 52 is :adjustably mounted in connection with the plate member l9, said shoe beingprovided with screws which pass through elongated apertures M insaidplate.member as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, and said shoe or cam member.52 is provided with-an ofi'set portion 55, and in the operation of the plate member 19 the anti-friction rollertt) passes over the top face of. the shoe or cam member 52 and the-,ofi-set portion 55 thereof, which operation causestheshutter device 46 to be moved from. the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown inFig. 3. The plate member 19 is also provided with a finger piece 56 which extends outwardly through and operates in an arc-shaped aperture-57 in the cover plate 16. and this finger piece. serves tolimit the movement of said plate member in both directions and provides means torjsetting the gun or returning theparts thereof to their normal position.

hook-shapedend 3010f the lever, 31..with the finge ppiece 29,;and the shutter device-46 is held in the position shown in said figure bvthe pring-5O and the communication .tl roug'h the-tubular memberAtQ, or the aper- O tureAirl thereof, is open WVhen it isdesired to use the device. the required amount of the explosive. or. flash powder is placed in the trough-17. after which the gun is, placedor mounted in, the desiredposition, or in conand the operation. of the shutter of the cam 0 a in the usual manner through the usual air bulb will cause the piston ll) to be moved upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, which operation actuates the lever 31 to disengage. the hook-shaped end portion 30 thereof from the finger piece 29, and the spring 2? will then actuate the plate member 19 to move it from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 3, in which operation the passage of the file or other facing over the spring-actuated tlint will generate or create sparks which are directed to the explosive or flash powder in the trough 17 through the tubular member 42 and the aperture 43 in the back wall ll of the casing. in the above operation of the plate member 19 the shutter device-46 is moved into an operative position to close the communication through the tubular memberQ, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 7 oi the drawing. whereby in the explosion of the powder, the dust or ash thereof will not be permitted to pass backwardly into the casing 10 through the tubular member 42 and/thus come in contact with the various ,parts-oi" the gun mounted within the casing.

and especially the file or other facing, 21

lthas been found by experience that with guns of this class now. upon the market and in use. the operation thereof is HHSUCCQSSfUl and unreliable due to the. fact that the spark a'enerat-ing or creating elements of such guns becon e useless by reason of the fact that the dust or ash of the eXploded powder collects upon the various parts of the gun, and especially the sparkling elements thereof. and such guns canonly be used on one or. two successive occasions. after :which they must be alien apartand thoroughly cleaned.

lVith my improved nun, however, it will be seen that the difliculties experienced with the present typeof guns is obviated, but it by any chance the dust or ash of the poiw der should pass into the casingthrough the tubular member 4-2 this dust or ash would collect upon the upper end portion of the file facing and leave the lower end portion thereof in a tree and clear state, and. due to the fact that the sparks aregenerated at the lowerend portion of said facing the collecting of dust or ash on the upper end of said facing will not efiecttheoperationof the gun, and it is for this reason that the triangular segmental plate member 19 is employed.

It will be understood thatby adjusting the shoe or cam member 52, the position of the offset portion thereof may be so regulated as, to close the shutter device :46 at the p-ropertime, or immediately after the powder has been exploded and by properly adjustingtile spring; tie/which normally tion with said. casing through a port or passage, a segmental member pivotally mounted Within said casing and provided with a roughened facing adapted to operate in con nection with a piece of spring-actuated flint for. generating sparks which are passed through said port or passage into said receptacle, tensional means for operating said segmental member in one direction, means for holding said'member in an inoperative position against the action of said tensional. means, means for releasing said last named means to cause said member to be actuated by said tensional means, a shutter device adapted to be automatically operated by said segmental member, tensional means for holding said shutter device in an inoperative position, adjusting means on said segmental member for regulating the operation of said shutter device, and means whereby said segmental member may be manually returned into its normal position.

7. Adevice of the class described comprising a suitable casing having an external. powder receiving receptacle in communication with said casing through a port or passage, a rotatable plate member mounted within said casing, tensional means for operating said member in one direction, a lever mounted in said casing and in operative connection with and adapted to hold said plate in position against the action of said tensional means, adjustable tensional means for controlling the movement of said lever, means for operating said lever to release said plate member, and means in the casing and on said plate for generating sparks in the movement of said plate memher by said tensional means, said sparks being adapted to pass outwardly through said casing through said port or passage and into said receptacle.

8. A device of the class described comprising a suitable casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication with said casing through a port or passage, a rotatable plate member mounted within said casing, tensional means for operating said member in one direction, a lever mounted in said casing and in operative connection and adapted to hold said plate in position against the action of said tensional means, adjustable tensional means for controlling the .movement of said lever, means for operating said lever to release said plate member, means in thecasing and on said plate member for generating sparks in the movement of said plate member by said tensional means, said sparks being adapted to pass outwardly through said casingthrough said port or passage and into said receptacle, a shutter device adapted to close said port or passage, and adjustable means on said plate member for actuating said shutter device.

9. A flashlight gun comprising spark generating elements mounted within a closed casing, said casing having an external powder receiving receptacle, means for plac ing said sparking elements in communication with said receptacle, and means for auto' matically closing said communication when the powder in said receptacle has been ignited by said sparking elements.

10. A device of the class described comprising a closed casing having an external powder receiving receptacle i'n communication with the interior thereof, means within the casing for generating sparks which are adapted to pass through said communication to said receptacle, and means for controlling said communication.

11. A device of the class described comprising a closed casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication with the interior thereof, means within the casing for generating sparks which are adapted to pass through said communication to said receptacle, and automatically operated means for closing said communication when the powder in said receptacle has been ignited.

12. A device of the class described comprising a closed casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication with the interior thereof, -means within the casing for generating sparks which are adapted to pass through said communication to said receptacle, automatically operated means for closing said communication when the powder in said receptaclehas been ignited, and adjustable means for controlling the operation of said last named means.

18. A device of the class described comprising a closed casing having an external powder receiving receptacle in communication with said casing through a port or passage, spark generating elements within said casing, and the sparks of which are adapted to pass outwardly through said port or passage into said receptacle, and an automatically operated shutter device for-closing said port or passage.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 23rd day of Feb, 1921.

EVERAR-D L. JOHNSON.

Witnesses FRANK T. SCHWARTZ, LoUIs LLEBENSTEIN. 

